Jeff HARTWIG

Jeff Hartwig was a pole vaulter who competed at two Olympics 12 years apart, 1996 and 2008. Hartwig was a four-time US Champion, winning in 1998-99 and 2002-03. He also set four American records, the first of which at 6.00 at Saint-Denis, France in June 1998, made him the first American to clear 6 metres. He also won the USA Indoor title in 1999 and 2007, won gold at the 1998 Goodwill Games, and took silver at the 1999 World Indoor Championships. In 2008, Hartwig was over 40-years-old and broke five Masters world records indoors and three outdoors that year. He was coached by Earl Bell, a former pole vault world record holder and bronze medalist at the 1984 Olympics.

Hartwig attended college at Florissant Valley Community College, before finishing at Arkansas State University in 1990. He competed twice at the NCAA Indoors, and once at the NCAA Outdoors, but no-heighted all three times. Hartwig and his wife, Karol, are animal lovers and own over 100 snakes, selling pythons and boa constrictors to pet stores. They also own multiple dogs. When he was traveling to athletics meets he often visited zoos around the world.